I am PUMPED to be celebrating our 2nd Anniversary! WOW! The time flew by and our success is completely because of a team of volunteers, staff, contributors, and advertisers. We strive to put out a publication that paints the picture every month of the amazing and positive attributes of this community. We work hard, create with love and put out the best quality to represent Starr County with the respect it deserves. Some doubted the fact that Starr County had so many beautiful spectacles and events to offer our world, but I never had a doubt. I first witnessed this as a visitor and later embraced it as a resident of our gorgeous South Texas home. Starr County is special, so are its people, and customs. Starr County’s roots go deep, very deep! Besides providing nourishment, roots also provide a strength, and adhesion that forever binds this community to the land, the current of a river and our big blue skies. Starr bleeds red like everybody else, but I can testify to the fact that our shade of red is ever so slightly more rich and vibrant.

Thank you to all of our advertisers who believe in our publication to help share your business, service and message. I am humbled by this belief and promise to continue working hard

to get our magazine in all the right places so that all of our community can learn more about you. I am grateful for your business which gives me the ability to promote Starr County and its amazing attributes.

Thank you to THE LIFE Magazine TEAM! This publication is ONLY as good as each puzzle piece that make it whole and that’s each and every one of you! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for your commitment!

Mark your calendar for

important upcoming events and dates that you don’t want to miss! First, December 7th is the RGC Greater Chamber of Commerce “Video Game Christmas” lighted evening parade. Line-up on Britton Avenue starts at 4p and the parade begins 6p sharp and goes down Main Street.

Boys and Girls Club in partnership with the Shops at Lopez-Tijerina Complex are putting on a family affair called “Chocolate Christmas” full of activities and chocolate goodies

for the kids on December 13th starting at 630p.

December 14th is Dr. B’s Winter Wonderland at 6p on the Fair Grounds. Every year she transforms our community to another world and it is for EVERYONE to enjoy for FREE! Then, on December 15th Dr. B is putting on her first annual “Candy Cane Christmas” play at the Paco Zarate Auditorium with showings at 3p and then another one at 7p.

One more fabulous family fun event is the Rio Grande City Library’s annual “Free Photos with Santa” on December 20th at 5p.

Calling all ARTISTS!!!!!!!!!! The RGC Greater Chamber of Commerce is getting ready for its 2nd annual Art Walk at La Borde House on January 3rd. We encourage all local artists to participate. Please call 956-393-1692 or send your interest to socialifestarr@gmail.com to participate in the upcoming event. Artist of all genres are welcome; jewelry makers, photographers, pottery, painters, writers… if you create art you should share it with your community! We encourage and welcome you too!

When you see us coming remember to smile BIG because capturing memories is what we love to do best!

Working towards a United Community. -Giselle Villarreal

Dear Life Lovers3

President / Editor in Chief

Giselle Villarreal

Creative Director

Roy Bazan

Events PhotographerCover Photographer

Aracely VasquezRoel Reyes

Administrative AssistantFashion EditorHealth & Fitness Editor

Jason Solis

Historian

Yirla NolanRenea Perez

Vice President

Modesto Ramirez

Account Executive

Sales Associate

Ruby Perez

Kassandra Ramos

Mayor Ruben O. Villarreal 601 Main StreetRio Grande City, TX 78582socialifestarr@gmail.com

956.393.1692

6,000 issues monthly and500+ distribution points

Starr County, Zapata County Winter Texan parks

across the valley and growing.

THE LIFE Magazine is published in Rio Grande City, TX. THE LIFE Magazine and

its employees do not assume liability for products or services offered herein.

Permission to use or reproduce material herein must be with express written

consent of the publisher. 2012 THE LIFE Magazine is Printed in the U.S.

www.thelifemagazine.weebly.com

CREW

CREW

By: Renea Perez

After the holidays, we usually tend to fall into our old habits, often because we feel like we already ruined our body or the progress we were making.

Let’s STOP this pattern and find some motivation! If you have a plan in place or someone to push you, you can get out of the "after holiday slump". Don’t focus on all of the things you ate, or all of the activities you didn’t do, focus on what you will do with your NEW day.

Motivation is the driving force behind our bad habits, so tap into yours and use it to

form new, good habits.By identifying what you

want and how you'll get it, you can shape new behaviors that, with a little practice, will become as routine as your bad habits ever were.

Begin talking to yourself like your own best friend rather than your worst enemy. Change your self-talk from discouraging to encouraging.

If you fall off the diet wagon and double up on dessert, don't beat yourself up and consider the day a waste. Instead, tell yourself that mistakes are just a part of change. Tell yourself you are not going to make matters worse by overdoing it for the rest of the day.

Let’s start early with the resolutions this year. Make a list today! Start making it a reality by picking yourself up and vowing to make lifelong changes! Get your head around the fact that you will slip up at times and the true success is getting back up.

There are several ways to find motivation! Grab your partner or friend and sign up for a 5k, an obstacle course run like the “Tough Mudder” or sign up to train for a fitness competition.

Pay in advance for training sessions so you will feel committed to going. Make a commitment to exercise every single day in one way

or another and to EAT right.Instead of stopping at the

same place every day for a taco, start shopping for a cleaner way to make them at home; whole grain tortillas with egg whites, cilantro, black beans, tomato, onions, jalapenos, and fat free shredded cheese! Now, that is a delicious and nutritious taco, and amazing fuel for your body.

Get motivated by making a motivation board so you can see every day the goals you have and want to reach. Do not let the holiday blues stop you from pressing forward toward your health and fitness goals. Don’t quit! You can do this!

The Holiday Fitness Trap

An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a

lie guarded

““ - Pope John Paul II

6

By: Modesto Ramirez Jr

When it comes to Rio Grande City’s History most people think of the Old Fort, the Grotto, among other places as well, but most people have forgotten about the tunnels. That’s right I said tunnels—underground tunnels that run right under Main Street.

The location of the main tunnel is across the current historic La Borde Hotel; the original entrance sits across the street at what is now a popular billiards hangout.

Many theories have come about as to why the tunnel was originally built. Some people believe the tunnel was built for the purpose of contraband smuggling in the 1920’s, as popular and as interesting as that may be you have to remember one thing, there would have not been a real need to hide the contraband for the simple reason that there was no real form of border patrol or customs enforcement. However there is no doubt in my mind that

the tunnels were used to hide alcohol.

According to many local historians the real reason behind the construction of the tunnel, was in my opinion far more interesting than contraband smuggling.

To truly understand the reason why the tunnels were built you have to understand the real history of the La Borde. The La Borde hotel

didn’t always have the reputation that it has now. 100 years ago, the Le Borde hotel was a house of ill repute, not necessarily a brothel but close to it. For a Rio Grande City man looking for a good time he knew the one place in town that would offer it. However, a man of respect certainly did not want to be seen coming out of the Le Borde hotel. So a tunnel was

built to provide the patrons of the La Borde a quick and easy escape route.

Over the years the tunnels were used for a variety of different reasons but eventually the need for the tunnels ended and soon after they were blocked off and were forgotten.

Sadly time was not kind to the tunnels over the course of the century much of the tunnel caved in and what was once a reminder of the underground history is now a pile of rubble.

Join me in next month’s column where I will dig into the history of the Mexican Revolution and the effects it had on Starr County.

Rio Grande City’s Tunnel of LOVE

-The LaBorde House was designed in Paris in 1893 by Frencharchitects and the plans were refined by San Antonio architects at

the building site in 1898. Construction was completed in 1899.

Follow me on Facebook and email any questions

or story ideas to modestoramirez14@yahoo.com

“To truly understand the reason why the tunnels were built you have to understand the real history of the La

Borde”

8

By: Roy Chubasco

Well what do ya’ know… the holiday

season is upon us. It seems that after

October the months slide by like a marble

on linoleum. The action of back-to-school

September to stuffed turkeys (yup I am

talking about us) November to Santa in

December is enough to make your head

spin like Lance Armstrong’s 10 speed

bike (of course his 10 speed bike days

were long ago before all the hoopla). Yet,

here we are in perhaps the most sacred

and sensational holiday of the year. If you

have not already guessed, I am talking

about Christmas. Few events conjure the

array of memories, family, gatherings,

department store sales and TV specials.

The Christmas season also brings out

a host of once a year characters like

the Grinch, Rudolph the Red Nosed

Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and my

Uncle Gilbert who dresses like Santa

Clause and sings Freddy Fender songs

(he claims he sounds better singing

“Wasted Days” as compared to “Deck the

Halls”). At this point both you and I know

that when it comes to Christmas stuff,

we are just scratching the surface of a

topic bigger than George Strait’s Farewell

Tour. With so much to possibly write

about, what will stir O’l Roy’s thinking

hat this month?

My story actually hit me on my leg

as I entered Wal-Mart a few days ago.

This dude was leaving the store going

out thru the “enter” doorway which made

me lean back just enough to tip over a

fire engine red potted plant. As I picked

it up, I saw that it was a poinsettia and

remembered some story about this

flower and Christmas. It was clear that

O’l Roy had to brush-up on his poinsettia

pedigree. So, here we go children, jump

onto the sleigh of discovery as we learn

a thing or two about the fascinating

poinsettia.

Poinsettia plants are native to an

area of southern Mexico known as “Taxco

del Alarcon”. They were used by the

Aztecs as dyes for clothing, cosmetics

and medicine. The poinsettia became

prominent in the United States due to the

efforts of Joel Poinsett who was the first

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in 1828. His

intense interest in the red flower caused

him to send some special specimens

to his greenhouses in South Carolina. I

suppose it was a good thing that he didn’t

fall in love with the cactus otherwise he

would need a whole heap of band aids.

Although, early on they were called

“pointed leaf” and “Mexican Fire Plant”,

the poinsettia in 1836 took the name of its

biggest cheerleader Joel Poinsett.

Now as for as how this red, velvet

flower and Christmas were married into

holy matrimony… well, that is the stuff

of legend. Here we go again with the

roots of the tale deeply entrenched in

Mexico. The main characters involved

seem to change a bit depending on the

version of the story as it is told. It is sorta’

like the popular sitcom “Two and a Half

Men” which features Charlie Sheen or

is it Ashton Kutcher? The two versions

of this chronicle which join Christmas

and the poinsettia involve either a

sister Maria and a little brother Pablo

or cousins Pepita and Pedro. These

two, Maria and Pablo (I’m going with

the sister/little brother version because

little brothers are annoyingly fun) found

themselves walking a long dusty road on

a Christmas Eve. Their destination was

the church in town which was displaying

a nativity scene. It had become custom

among the town’s people to shower the

baby Jesus with gifts of love. Because

the children were poor, they had nothing

to offer the baby Jesus. Seeing his big

sister unhappy, little Pablito thought that

they could collect weeds from alongside

the road. Not having much of a choice,

Maria gathered weeds and formed them

into a bouquet. When they walked into

the manger to deliver the gift they were

received with laughter and criticism.

None the less the two walked up to the

baby Jesus and with all the love in their

hearts laid their bouquet of weeds down

alongside him. Suddenly, the weeds

transformed into the most beautiful red

flowers making it clear that love and

humility can make miracles happen.

Of course, these red flowers were

poinsettias and the legend lives on like

the twinkle of a million stars.

I don’t know about you, but I think

that story makes a Disney Movie seem

like a commercial for laundry detergent. I

know that this tale has been told in many

ways but the essence of this adventure is

as heart-warming and gratifying as a hug

from your mother. When you think about

it, few things in this world are closer to

God than love, innocence and the purity

of a soul that glows like the deep red hues

of the humble yet magnificent poinsettia.

Merry Christmas to y’all and May

God Bless you always!…That’s the way

I see it under these Starry skies.

Love & Humility- The Stuff of Miracles

Psychology Club GEEKS the Library

10

Criminal Justice

Association Car Wash

By: Yirla Rubi Gonzalez Nolan

This season’s color trend might have a scary name but Oxblood is nothing but an appealing hue that is everywhere you turn. The richness of this dark reddish color gives some excitement to our wardrobe with a hint of sexiness and sophistication. I’ve narrowed it down to five items that will have a major impact on your outfit.

N A R S L i p s t i c k i n Vendanges- A great subtle way to showcase this season’s hue is by wearing it on your lips. NARS is well known for its pure creamy lipstick formulas that lend a bold color to lips. This

sheer grape color will look great with minimal makeup that will focus only on your kissers. Head to your nearest

Sephora to pick one up.Target Envelope Clutch-

This gorgeous burgundy envelope clutch adds major points to an outfit. It features a microsuedette exterior with beautiful metal-look edging on the clasp and two compartments to organize what you carry. Head to a Target near you for this $10

piece. The sophistication of this clutch allows for more oxblood in your outfit. Use this color freely!

Burgundy Lace Cami Maxi- A sure way to show the fashionista in you! Misssel f r idge.com has reduced the price of this maxi to a low $26. This maxi has lace insert details at the side which give a vintage feel while the slits on the side give it a flirty flair that will turn heads. Pair it up with gold chunky jewelry and you are ready for a night out in town.

Almond Toe Wedges- Forever21 has a pair of faux suede wedges for only $24.80. With a wedge support and a heel height of 3”, you will be able to wear

this from sunrise to sunset. If you don’t believe me head to the forever21 website and see their “Top Rated” badge that will sure convince you to purchase. Try them with a light colored outfit like tans or lavenders so you make your shoes pop.

Skinny Jeans-Head on over to ZARA.com and look for the oxblood pair for a great way to throw them on for a casual stroll or a night out. I’m sure you have seen a lot of candy colored jeans around town, but these oxblood colored ones give any outfit a demure attitude perfect for winter. The $35.90 price tag will be well worth it after you wear these over and over again.

Oxblood the season’s color

Your POW Sister and Fashionista,Myfashgasm.com

Editor & Stylist

For tough fashion questionscontact me at

yirlarubi@gmail.com

12

“The richness of this dark reddish color gives some excitement to our wardrobe with a hint of sexiness and

sophistication”

16

18

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